Muslims hide amid Myanmar sectarian violence

Totally blackened pillars stand among debris of a burnt building Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2013, in Thandwe, Rakhine State, western Myanmar. Terrified Muslim families hid in forests in western Myanmar on Wednesday, one day after rampaging Buddhist mobs killed a 94-year-old woman and burned dozens of homes despite the first trip to the volatile region by President Thein Sein since unrest erupted last year. The violence near Thandwe, a coastal town the president was due to visit later Wednesday on the second day of his tour of Rakhine state, raised new questions about government's failure to curb anti-Muslim attacks and or protect the embattled minority. (AP Photo/Khin Maung Win)

THANDWE, Myanmar (AP) — Terrified Muslim families hid in forests in western Myanmar on Wednesday, one day after fleeing a new round of sectarian violence that erupted even as the president toured the divided region for the first time since clashes flared there last year.

Tuesday's unrest near the coastal town of Thandwe, which saw Buddhist mobs kill a 94-year-old Muslim woman and burn dozens of homes, underscored the government's persistent failure to stop the sectarian violence from spreading.

Rights groups say President Thein Sein has done little to crack down on religious intolerance and failed to bridge a divide that has left hundreds of thousands of Muslims marginalized and segregated, many of them trapped by security forces in prison-like camps for those who fled their homes.

Wednesday was Thein Sein's second day in Rakhine state. In the capital, Sittwe, he visited camps for both Muslims and Buddhists who have been displaced, according to state spokesman Win Myaing.

"He personally met leaders of both communities and had told them to live in peace and harmony," Win Myaing said.

While Thein Sein has condemned the violence in Rakhine state before, critics say his security forces have not done enough to contain it. They also say his government has failed to crack down on radical monks who have instilled hatred and fear of the nation's Muslim minority, arguing they pose a threat to Buddhist culture and traditions.

In a message to religious leaders that ran in Myanmar's state-run newspapers Wednesday, Thein Sein said the sectarian unrest threatens the government's reform process "and tarnishes the national image internationally."

"The constitution of Myanmar fully guarantees freedom of religion as the fundamental right of citizens," Thein Sein said. "We all should never misuse this noble idea of freedom of religion, or use it as a springboard for any kind of extremism or for fueling hatred."

Thein Sein has been widely praised for overseeing an unprecedented political opening in the Southeast Asian nation since the army ceded power two years ago to a nominally civilian government led by retired military officers.

On Tuesday, Thein Sein traveled to Mrauk-U, the spiritual heartland of the state's majority ethnic Rakhine Buddhist population. He also traveled to the northern town of Maungdaw, and was expected to visit Thandwe later Wednesday.

Thandwe was tense but quiet, with security forces out in force ahead of the president's arrival.

That boosted security presence, however, failed to deter the attackers a day earlier as unrest engulfed several other villages in the area. Witnesses said soldiers and police made no efforts to step in.

In Thabyuchaing, about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Thandwe, more than 700 rioters, some swinging swords, took to the streets, police officer Kyaw Naing said. A 94-year-old Muslim woman died from stab wounds in the clashes that followed, the officer said, adding that between 70 and 80 houses were set on fire.

Another officer, however, said only 19 homes were burned.

Smoldering buildings — and several injured Buddhist Rakhines — were also seen by The Associated Press in the village of Shwe Hlay. A police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he did not have authority to talk to the media, said the village of Linthi also was hit by rioters. Both villages are about 32 kilometers (20 miles) outside of Thandwe.

A Muslim resident of Thandwe, Myo Min, said a small mosque in Kyikanyet, about 43 kilometers (27 miles) from Thandwe, was burned by attackers Tuesday night. Police said they were trying to confirm that report.

Myo Min said he was concerned about the safety of families who fled Tuesday's violence. Many families in Thabyuchaing, he said, fled into forests when their village was attacked.

"Many of them, including women and children, are still hiding, and they are cornered and unable to come out," Myo Min said. "They need food and water, and Muslim elders are discussing with authorities to evacuate them or send food."

One Muslim resident who fled Tuesday, Thar Thar, said he went to the home of a friend with his wife and child. It was not clear how many people have fled.

Sectarian clashes that began in Rakhine in June 2012 have since morphed into an anti-Muslim campaign that has spread to towns and villages nationwide. So far, hundreds of people have been killed and more than 140,000 have fled their homes, the vast majority of them Muslims.

Most of those targeted in Rakhine state have been ethnic Rohingya Muslims, considered by many in the country to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh, though many of their families arrived generations ago. But in the latest flare-up this week, the victims were Kamans, another Muslim minority group, whose citizenship is recognized.

Muslims, who account for about 4 percent of Myanmar's roughly 60 million people, have been the main victims of the violence, but they have been prosecuted for crimes related to the clashes far more often than members of the Buddhist majority.